Mitch McConnell Released from Hospital, But Still Not "Medically Cleared" to Do His Job; Democrat Governor Andy Beshear Demands He Return to Senate or Resign

It was so important to McConnell to remain in office forever. Even after he'd been kicked out of the leadership position due to his opposition to most mainstream Republicans.

And it will wind up costing us.

McConnell out of hospital, still not 'medically cleared' to return to Senate The longtime Senate Republican undergoes multiple daily physical therapy sessions as childhood polio complicates his mobility, his office says

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is out of the hospital and on the mend after suffering a fall last month, but he still isn't "medically cleared" to return to the Senate.

His office on Monday released the latest update on the longtime Senate Republican, who has been absent from the upper chamber and the public eye for over a month. The Office of the Attending Physician said in a statement that McConnell "continues his recovery from a fall at home in June."

"OAP physicians visit with the senator every day, discussing all aspects of his rehabilitation care," the Office of the Attending Physician said. "Since his discharge from hospital care, he has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation, including multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls."

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is still recovering from a fall he suffered at home last month and is not "medically cleared" to return to the Senate, per the Office of the Attending Physician. (Courtesy of the Office of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.)

"His bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility," they continued. "He is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office."

The latest update from McConnell-world comes after weeks of speculation and allegations that the longest-serving Republican leader in Senate history was dead or in a vegetative state.

McConnell's extended absence from the Senate and murky timeline for his return come as Republicans are sprinting to clear the decks of several legislative priorities where his vote could be needed, including advancing a Russia sanctions package and confirming blockbuster nominees.

His prolonged absence has prompted lawmakers in both chambers to call for more clarity and transparency about his condition and has led some to question the protocol for lawmakers going missing for months at a time.

Democrat governor Andy Beshear wants him to resign so that he can appoint a Democrat to serve out the rest of his term. As I've mentioned before, Republicans passed a law presuming to dictate to the governor that an appointment to an open senate seat must be from the same party as the departing senator, but that seems like it would be struck down in court.

So McConnell might be giving us one final setback to go with all of the other setbacks he's given us through the years.

Democrat Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has called on Sen. Mitch McConnell, one of the two Republican senators from his state, to explain his long-term health absence or resign.

In a letter sent to McConnell on Monday, Beshear called upon the former Senate majority leader to fully explain his health status, believing that the carefully released photos do not paint the full picture. His letter came after the McConnell family shared another photo of the senator as he recovers from a reported fall.

"I am addressing this letter to Senator McConnell under the assumption that he is capable of reading and responding verbally, and not incapacitated by means of consciousness or cognition. If the Senator is unable to respond for either of those or other conditions, consider this letter a demand for his Senate staff to be honest and transparent with the people of Kentucky," Beshear wrote, per CNN.

On Monday, McConnell's office said the senator wishes to get back to work but has not yet been medically cleared to leave the rehab facility. Beshear said more information is needed.

"Even the attending physician's written statement does not discuss your actual condition, including whether you can speak, reason, or carry out your duties as a senator. I understand anyone's desire for privacy, but when you run for office and serve as one of a state's two US senators, you willingly abdicate much of your personal privacy," Beshear wrote.

"As Governor of the state you serve, I am calling on you to directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign," he continued.

posted by Disinformation Expert Ace at 03:50 PM

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